We have a LOT of tomato plants that need a home! In celebration of the popularity of the tomato – often called “America’s favorite edible plant” – here are some fun facts about the vegetable from Garden Center magazine.
- The word “tomato” was first seen in English in 1604, appearing in “The Naturall and Morall Historie Of the East and West Indies,” by Edward Grimston.
- The tomato was officially dubbed a vegetable – not a fruit – in 1887. It was settled at the Supreme Court; the case was called “Nix v. Hedden.”
- The largest tomato on record was grown in Oklahoma in 1986. How big was it? 7.7 pounds!
- The average US citizen consumes 88 pounds of tomatoes each year.
- A tomato is only 35 calories.
